Fight Night Hits Woodbury

Ray Edwards certainly looked the part.

The Minnesota Vikings defensive end weighed in for his professional boxing debut Thursday at in Woodbury.

A tattooed, muscled and lean Edwards—who has boxed as part of his training regimen for several years—came in at 258.5 pounds and towered over his opponent, TJ Gibson.

Whether he can actually box, however, remains to be seen.

Woodbury resident Dan Cole, the Common Man of KFAN radio, said the fact that Edwards is a professional football player has brought some hype to a fight in a state that traditionally hasn’t had a strong boxing following.

Cole, who emceed part of Thursday’s weigh-in, told Woodbury Patch that Edwards has displayed some skill in sparring sessions.

“But the big question is: Can he take a punch?” Cole said.

Edwards has made no secret of his displeasure with how the Vikings have handled his contract situation, Cole said, and part of Edwards’ decision to step into the ring might have something to do with that.

The NFL is also embroiled in a labor dispute and Edwards may just be suffering from boredom, Cole said, though the radio host didn’t dismiss the possibility that this could mark the beginning of a career change for the Viking. USA Today reported that Edwards is due to earn $5,000 plus 50 percent of the gate revenue at the fight.

There hasn’t been a big fight in Minnesota for some time and it was nice to see the fight—set for Friday, May 20, Grand Casino Hinckley—get some publicity, Cole said.

If he continues to hone his skills, Edwards has the name recognition and athletic ability to build himself into a fighter worthy of making a big payday, Cole said.

“But that’s a big if,” he said. “It’s a tough business."